Comprehensive intervention combining group and personalized language therapy in primary progressive aphasia: Quantitative and qualitative findings

IF 6.8 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Alzheimer''s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions Pub Date : 2025-07-22 DOI:10.1002/trc2.70132

Tijana Simic, Laura Laird, Rudra Patel, Monica Lavoie, Maria Martinez, Paula Gosse, Alexandra Santos, David Tang-Wai, Regina Jokel, Carmela Tartaglia, Elizabeth Rochon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Increasingly, studies are demonstrating language and communication improvement after behavioral interventions for primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and the caregiver perspective has been highlighted as critically important to determining treatment success in this population. This is an exploratory study investigating a comprehensive, person-centered intervention promoting everyday communication, functional independence, and quality of life for people with PPA (PwPPA) and their caregivers.

METHODS

Four intervention programs were run separately in 6 to 8 week blocks with a total of 14 dyads (PwPPA and caregiver) enrolled. Group sessions lasted 2 hours and included communication strategy training, PPA education from multidisciplinary experts, speech therapy for PwPPA, and a support group for caregivers (blocks 1 and 2). Personalized language exercises were assigned for home practice, using apps or paper-and-pencil tasks. Quantitative and qualitative outcomes were measured before and after each treatment block and included: the Revised Western Aphasia Battery (WAB-R) Aphasia Quotient (AQ) and subtest scores, content information units (CIUs) on the WAB-R picture description task, and qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews, gathered from both PwPPA and caregivers.

RESULTS

No statistically significant changes were noted in mean WAB-AQ score pre- to post-intervention. Mean CIUs produced on the WAB-R picture description task pre- to post-intervention increased and approached significance (β = 2.7; confidence interval: −0.45, 5.86, p = 0.09). Qualitative findings from PwPPA and caregivers were very positive, and underscored the sense of community, improved language, communication, and well-being, and access to multidisciplinary expertise and resources afforded by the program.

DISCUSSION

Further investigation into the most appropriate assessment tools and intervention approaches for PPA is warranted and has the potential to make a significant positive impact on PwPPA and their families.

Highlights

We combined quantitative and qualitative measures of efficacy in treating primary progressive aphasia.
Language skills were maintained and communication improvement approached significance.
Participants noted the benefits of peer support, education, and communication practice.

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群体与个性化语言治疗相结合的综合干预对原发性进行性失语症的定量与定性研究

越来越多的研究表明，在对原发性进行性失语症（PPA）进行行为干预后，语言和沟通得到了改善，而护理者的观点已被强调为决定该人群治疗成功的关键。这是一项探索性研究，旨在探讨一种全面的、以人为本的干预措施，以促进PPA患者及其照顾者的日常沟通、功能独立性和生活质量。方法4个干预方案分别在6至8周内进行，共有14对夫妇（PwPPA和照顾者）入组。小组会议持续2小时，包括沟通策略培训、多学科专家的PPA教育、PwPPA语言治疗和护理人员支持小组（第1和第2块）。个性化的语言练习被分配给家庭练习，使用应用程序或纸笔任务。定量和定性结果在每个治疗单元前后进行测量，包括：修订西方失语测验（WAB-R）失语商（AQ）和子测试分数，WAB-R图片描述任务的内容信息单位（ciu），以及半结构化访谈的定性内容分析，收集自PwPPA和照顾者。结果干预前后WAB-AQ平均评分无统计学意义变化。干预前后WAB-R图像描述任务产生的平均ciu增加，接近显著性(β = 2.7；置信区间：−0.45,5.86,p = 0.09)。来自PwPPA和护理人员的定性调查结果非常积极，并强调了社区意识，语言，沟通和福祉的改善，以及获得多学科专业知识和项目提供的资源。讨论有必要进一步研究最适合PPA的评估工具和干预方法，并有可能对PPA及其家人产生重大的积极影响。我们采用定量和定性相结合的方法治疗原发性进行性失语症。语言技能得到了保持，沟通能力的提高也接近了意义。与会者注意到同伴支持、教育和交流实践的好处。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Alzheimer''s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

10.10

自引率

2.10%

发文量

134

审稿时长

10 weeks

期刊介绍： Alzheimer''s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions (TRCI) is a peer-reviewed, open access,journal from the Alzheimer''s Association®. The journal seeks to bridge the full scope of explorations between basic research on drug discovery and clinical studies, validating putative therapies for aging-related chronic brain conditions that affect cognition, motor functions, and other behavioral or clinical symptoms associated with all forms dementia and Alzheimer''s disease. The journal will publish findings from diverse domains of research and disciplines to accelerate the conversion of abstract facts into practical knowledge: specifically, to translate what is learned at the bench into bedside applications. The journal seeks to publish articles that go beyond a singular emphasis on either basic drug discovery research or clinical research. Rather, an important theme of articles will be the linkages between and among the various discrete steps in the complex continuum of therapy development. For rapid communication among a multidisciplinary research audience involving the range of therapeutic interventions, TRCI will consider only original contributions that include feature length research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, brief reports, narrative reviews, commentaries, letters, perspectives, and research news that would advance wide range of interventions to ameliorate symptoms or alter the progression of chronic neurocognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer''s disease. The journal will publish on topics related to medicine, geriatrics, neuroscience, neurophysiology, neurology, psychiatry, clinical psychology, bioinformatics, pharmaco-genetics, regulatory issues, health economics, pharmacoeconomics, and public health policy as these apply to preclinical and clinical research on therapeutics.